Women's lives are always very busy. Frequently we are so busy doing things for others that we forget to take time to replenish the energy we expend. We often don't take time to experience and discuss different ways of thinking, unique ways of being, new ways of doing. STONES & ROSES offers women an opportunity to meet, experience new things, to share in a safe circle.

The idea of hosting a Women's Day began to take shape in the fall of 2004. Nancy and I had attended a Women's Day in 2001 and loved every minute of it. The organizer of that day, Carla, now busy tending to her young family, gave us her blessing. So off we went, Nancy and I, planning and replanning our way to the first STONES & ROSES that took place in Dorchester on May 15, 2005.

We didn't have to make many decisions; each time we came to a problem the decisions seemed to be made for us. The name STONES & ROSES was one of those decisions. A 'talking stone' placed on each table would be held by each woman as she shared her name and reasons for attending. A gardening friend Agnes, kindly offered to donate a white, long-stemed rose to each women who attended. Thus came the name STONES & ROSES - before we even knew about the significance of 65 Roses to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. When we discovered this story, we knew we were on the right path.

The 5 years of STONES & ROSES days were amazing! The energy created and shared by the women who presented, and those who accepted will continue to flow outward to others in ways we may never know.

In the spring of 2009 we held our last STONES & ROSES - A Day for Women. We realized that it was time for both of us to create a void in order to allow other opportunities to come our way. Nancy's passion is theatre. Penny's passion is drumming. We both have a passion for bringing women together to share our stories and to learn from each other. We continue to do just that in our new pursuits. And we both hope that our work with STONES & ROSES has encouraged other women to create circles of knowledge, wisdom, and laughter.